wonderwall

Wonderwall is one of those special songs.

Love Oasis or hate Oasis Wonderwall is just a spectacular song – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hzrDeceEKc&feature=related .

It was spectacular in its original version, has been spectacular as a cover (Ryan Adams version is exponentially different than the original but explores a haunting side of the song you may never have visited if Ryan hadn’t done it – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gVxRvNfFLg ) and, as a testament to the song, and Noel Gallagher (I can’t remember which one of the Gallagher brothers is the jerk), the song has been spectacular in a completely different arrangement.

I always respect an artist who takes one of their best songs and seeks to deliver it in a different arrangement without losing its soul (that’s my way of saying ‘not doing it differently because you were tired of doing the original but rather you sought to explore different dimensions of the song’).

Ok.

That was a long preface to the fact in 2010 (I just saw it on palladia) Noel Gallagher performed Wonderwall at the teenage cancer trust benefit concert in an arrangement that was … well … spectacular. – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Be0zUC4JeUU

I am not sure I have ever heard a choir used the way he did (they don’t really sing words but rather provide a wave of notes behind his singing) in addition he uses a small orchestral group behind the band to round out a simple (although it doesn’t sound simple as I type this) stripped down but richer arrangement.

I do love when the original artist figures out a way to rearrange a song where it can stand side by side with the original. Well done Noel (and I hope you aren’t the jerk brother).

By the way … if you haven’t heard Noel’s newest cd (Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds) it is nice. I wouldn’t say it is spectacular but … nice. Here is Everybody’s on the Run which I really like: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpqQJfdLO14

Enjoy.